Surgical suturing device



Jan. 1, 1952 M. L. SKALLER SURGICAL SUTURING DEVICE Filed Jan. 23. 1948 iliilllibil! illllll III. 0

Patented Jan. 1, 1 952 2 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE SURGICAL SUTURING nnvron Maia L. Skaller, Blytheville, Ark. Application January 23, 1 94s, SeriaINo. 3,862

vices.

' The principal object of this invention is to provide an improved surgical suturing device which semi-automatically sutures for cutting operating time by substantially one-third and work by substantially one-half, which is power driven and yet easily-controlled, which is compact and light and so shaped to permit readyand easy manual manipulation thereof, which may be readily and easily manipulated with one hand, which maybe readily sterilized, and which may be inexpensively manufactured.

Further objects of this invention reside in the details of construction of the suturing device and the cooperative relationship between the component'parts thereof.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification, claims, and drawing'in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the surgical su turing device;

' Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof looking from the left of Fig. 1';

Figure 3 is a partial sectional view thereof looking from the right in Fig. 1;

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic views illustrating the suturing operation accomplished by the device of this invention.

The surgical suturingdevice is generally designated at I and includes a housing or casing ll provided with a pistol grip portion I2 and a muzzle portion l3.

. A flexible drive shaft having a stationary flexible sleeve l and a rotatable flexible shaft H5 located therein enters the housing at the end of the pistol gripportion i 2 thereof. The stationary sleeve I5 is suitably secured to the housing and the rotatable flexible shaft "5 extends through a-rsuitable bearing [1 in the housing. The rotatable flexible A shaft It as preferably .rotitted by a powernsourcejnot shown) such as a motor or the like. The inner end of the flexible drive shaft l6 carries a pinion l8. The drive shaft l6 adjacent the pinion I8 is journaled in a sleeve l9 carried by a link 20 pivoted to a trigger 2| which in turn is pivoted to the housing II by pivot pin 22. One end of a link 23 hooks over a pin 24 in the trigger 2| and the other end extends through a hole in a stationary abutment 25 carried by the housing. A spring 26 surrounds the link 23 and is interpositioned between the trigger 2| and the abutment 25 for urging the trigger 2| outwardly for normally pulling the 4 Claims. (01.112-169) pinion F8 to the left. When thetrigger'fl i's moved inwardly against the spring 28 "the pinion 8 is moved to theright, thus, a control trigger mechanism entering the housing adjacent the pistol grip and muzzle portions thereof is pro vided for positioning the drive pinion l8. A looper shaft 28 extends into the muzzle por-' tion of the housing and is journaled in bearings 29 and'30 carried by the housing. A pair of'collars 3| on the shaft 28 prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft, but at the same time permit' rotation thereof. The inner end of the shaft 28 is provided with a gear 32 adapted to be engaged by the pinion I8. The outer end of the looper shaft 28 is provided with a looper 33 having a hook '34 and a guide-vane 35. 'When the trigger 2| is depressed the pinion f8 engages the gear 32 for rotating the looper shaft 28 and the looper 33 and when the trigger 2| is released the pinion l8 disengages the gear 32 and rotation of the shaft 28 and looper 33 is stoppe A needle arm 3 enters the muzzle portion of the housing H and is pivoted intermediate its ends on a pivot pin 38 within the housing Il The inner end of the needle arm'is provided with a hook 39 carrying one end of .a link 50-, the other end being carried by a pivot pin 4|, carried by the gear 32. Thus, as the gear 32 is rotated, oscillatory movement is imparted to the needle arm 31 through the link 48'. The needle arm 31, therefore, oscillates about its pivot 38' in timed relation with the rotationof the looper shaft 28. The needle arm 31 is substantially parallel to the loopershaft 28. r The outer end of the needle arm 31 is provided with means for supporting or carrying a needle 43. In this respect the needle 43 is held in the enlarged end 42 of the needle arm by a suitable screw 44. Preferably, the parts of the'suturing device are made of non-corrosive metal so that the device may be readily sterilize The eye of the needle 43 carriesa suitable su tu'ring thread 46. The looper $33 issc arranged on the looper shaft"28 that the hook- 34 is ad-je cent the needle 43 when the needle is advanced as illustrated in Fig. f and is away from the needle when the needle is retracted as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The needle 43 may be of the cutting or round edge type. The suture material or thread may be readily changed merely by changing the needle carrying the thread For example, chronic cat gut, plain cat gut,i"c'o'tton, silk or any other suture material is usable;

In the use of thesurgical suturing device the flexible drive shaft 16 is rotated and the pistol portion 12 of the device is grasped, the trigger 2 is depressed to cause rotation of the looper shaft 28 and oscillation of the needle arm 31, the needle 43 carrying with it the suturing thread 46 pierces the tissue to be sutured and the hook 34 of the looper 33 forms a loop 41 as illustrated in Fig. 4. Continued rotation of the looper 33 causes the hook 34 to carry the loop 41 through 'the previously formed loop 48 as shown in Fig.5. In so doing the vane 35'engages the loop 41 to hold it in proper position ready for the next cycle of op:

eration. The surgical suturing device can be operated in the foregoing manner to provide-separate individual stitches whereby it can be used to stitch inside the pelvis, abdomen,'vagina, etc.

If desired, the suturing device maybe operated through a number of cycles of operation to provide a continuous stitching action which .would i be particularly usefuh in closing procedures through the peritoneum, shin and the like. In the latter case a chain stitch would beprovided. The surgical suturing deviceof this invention, therefore, semi-automatically sutures and reduces the operating time by substantially onethird and the work by substantially one-half. Since the suture device is power driven only one hand is required for operating the device whereby the other hand is left free for positioning the tissue during the suturing operation. The pistol grip portion of;.the housing provides ready means for grapsing the suturing device so that it may be easily and accurately used. The suturing device is light in weight and compact in construction thereby greatly facilitating the use thereof;

The device may be readily sterilized because of its simple construction. It may also be inexpensively manufactured so that it may be readily accessible to the medical profession.

While for purposes of illustration one form of this invention has been disclosed, other forms thereof may become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the accompanying specification and drawing, and therefore, this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. r j 'I claim:

1. A surgical suturing device comprising a housing, a flexible drive shaft entering the hous ing and provided with a pinion at its inner end, a rotary looper shaft entering the housing and provided with a looper at its outer end and a gear atjits inner end, a control trigger mechanism entering the housing for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear the gear and looper shaft, a needle arm substantially parallel to the rotary looper shaft and entering the housing and pivoted for oscillatory movement toward and away from the looper shaft and provided with means at its outer end for supporting a needle; and a connection be- .tween the gear and they inner end of the needle arm for oscillating the latter in timed relation to therotationof the looper shaft. A N g for controlling rotation of zle' portion, 1 pistol grip portion of the housing, a rotary looper 4 2. A surgical suturing device comprising a power driven drive shaft provided with a driving pinion, a rotary looper shaft provided with a looper and a gear, a control mechanism for engaging and disengaging the pinion and the gear for controlling rotation of the gear and looper shaft, a needle arm substantially parallel to the looper shaft and pivoted for oscillatory movement toward and away from the looper shaft and having means for supporting aneedle adjacent the looper, and a connection between the gear and needle arm for oscillating the latter in timed relation to the rotation of the looper shaft. 3. A surgical suturing device comprising a housing having a pistol grip portion and a muza flexible drive shaft entering the shaft entering the muzzle portion of the housing 1 and p'ro'vided with a looper at its outer end, an

oscillatory needle arm entering the muzzle portion ofhth'e housing substantially parallel to'the looper shaft and provided with means at its outer end for supporting a needle in operative relation to the looper, driving connections in the housing between the drive shaft, looper shaft and needle arm for oscillating the needle arm and for rotat ing the looper shaft in timed relation, and a control mechanism including a trigger entering the housing adjacent the muzzle and pistol grip por tions thereof for controlling the driving con nections; a

4. A surgical suturing device comprising 'a housing having a pistol grip portion and a m-uzzle portion, a flexible drive shaft entering the pistol grip portion-and provided with a pinion at its inner end,- a rotary looper shaft entering the muzzle portion of the housing and provided with a looper at its outer end and a gear at its inner end, a controltrigger mechanism entering the housing adjacent the muzzle and pistol grip portions thereof for engaging and disengaging the pinion and gear for controlling rotation of the gear and looper shaft, a needle arm entering the muzzle portion of the housing substantially parallel to the looper shaft and pivoted for oscillatory movement toward and away from the looper shaft and provided with means at its outer-end for supporting a needle, and a connection between the gear and the inner end of the needle arm for oscillating the latter in timedrelation to the rotation of the looper shaft. t j

MAJA L. SKALLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATEN'IS 

